2013 Lions look ahead: QBs

As spring practice gets going, our thoughts turn to what the 2013 team will look like. That means it’s time to consider the depth chart and likely contenders for starting spots and playing time.

We’ll start with quarterback.

Matt McGloin, after sharing duty with Rob Bolden for two years, finally got his chance last year. And, he made the most of it under the expert tutelage of Bill O’Brien. McGloin won the award for the oustanding player who started his career as a walk on.

McGloin’s graduation and the failure to attract juco star Jake Waters leaves the Lions with two talented, but untested, players to jockey for the right to lead the team this season.

Steven Bench has a year in O’Brien’s system under his belt, and very limited playing time backing up McGloin. But, that experience and being around the college game to me gives him the upper hand for now. But, it’s far from a sure thing.

Star recruit Christian Hackenberg earns chops for staying with Penn State through the scandal, player losses and sanctions handed down from the NCAA. He is one of the top QB recruits, but we all know the difference between high school and big time Division I is huge.

Competition can be healthy if handled the right way, which O’Brien seems to understand. Either of these guys appears to have the talent to flouish under the excellent coaching they will receive. The running game should be solid, there are tight ends galore to catch the ball, and the wide receiving corps should be good enough. The O line, as it seems is always the case, is a question.

Assuming that line is at least decent, whoever emerges as the top guy should be good enough to do the job needed under center. The bigger question may be the mindset of the guy who is #2. Bench has three years left, Hackenberg is a true freshman.

ABOUT US

Do you bleed Blue and White? Do you have a voracious appetite for Penn State news and analysis? Do you have an unquenchable thirst for anything to do with Nittany Lion football?

So do we.

Ruman

Heiser

Walk

Ron Ruman, a well-known local radio broadcaster, is the point man on this endeavor, but he’ll get some help from York Dispatch staffers sports editor Steve Heiser and sports reporter John Walk. All three are Penn State graduates and have been following Nittany Lions football for years. Walk brings the perspective of a recent grad (2010), while Ruman and Heiser have been watching Joe Paterno and his troops for decades.

Each week, we plan to stuff this site with multiple entries, covering nearly every angle of PSU football — recruiting news, game previews and analysis, commentaries and links to other provacative stories.